Not all who travelled the road were easily seen.
Some passed without stopping.
Ruan stood by the window.
Beyond the glass, the lantern beside the well burned faintly in the pale winter light. Snow drifted past it in slow, wandering lines.
For a moment the inn was quiet.
Then, somewhere beyond the fields, a faint sound rose on the wind.
***
The afternoon light lay pale across the snow.
Clouds drifted slowly above the fields, and the road beyond the well had grown quieter since the first fall.
Fresh snow had begun to settle along the path.
Outside, Moss worked along the edge of the road, pushing snow aside with a wide wooden shovel. The cleared strip reached from the well to the front gate, a narrow line through the white.
Inside, the inn was warm.
A pot rested above the hearth while the fire shifted quietly beneath it.
Ruan stood beside the counter, crushing dried herbs between his fingers before letting them fall into the pot.
Across the hearth, Boro crouched near the floor.
He brushed ash from the stone and gathered the old wood dust into a small pan before setting fresh pieces beside the fire.
Two travellers sat near the hearth.
They had turned their chairs toward the flames, their hands stretched forward to catch the heat.
Steam rose faintly from their sleeves where melted snow had soaked into the cloth.
Ruan poured hot water into two cups and carried them across the room.
He set them down on the table.
"Thank you," the older traveller said.
The younger one leaned back slightly, warming his hands again.
"Hunting during this season is refreshing," he said. "But cold."
He rubbed his hands once.
"Colder near the field. Rabbits gather there."
The older man gave a small nod.
"Calmer this winter."
"Mm. Nothing moving out there. The walkers… like instruments, just standing."
Ruan glanced toward the bundle resting near the wall.
Three rabbits hung there by their hind legs.
"You're quite active," he said. "Three rabbits in early winter."
The younger man shrugged.
"Nah. Warms the body."
He nodded toward the kitchen.
"Cook them for dinner."
Boro looked up from the hearth.
"B-braised rabbit?"
The younger traveller smiled.
"Sounds good."
Boro brightened and quickly rose to his feet.
Ruan remained where he was.
For a moment his attention drifted from the room.
The travellers continued speaking near the hearth, but Ruan was already looking toward the door.
Something had changed.
He crossed the hall slowly and returned to the counter.
Outside, snow brushed faintly against the wood.
The bell rang as the door opened.
Someone stepped inside.
Snow clung to the edges of a pale cloak marked with faded patterns. Charms and small metal tokens hung from cords across the fabric, shifting softly as he moved.
A wooden mask covered his face. One side curved into the long shape of an animal's skull while the other was carved smooth and dark, leaving only a narrow slit for the eye.
In his hand he carried a tall staff.
Small bells were tied beneath the head of it. They chimed quietly with each step.
Ruan watched him cross the hall.
The room grew quieter for a moment.
The man stopped near the counter and looked around the inn before his gaze settled on Ruan.
"Have you heard a howling sound around here?"
Ruan did not answer at once.
"A wolf?" he said.
The man shook his head.
"A creature."
Ruan glanced toward the window.
"No."
The man studied the hall again.
His gaze passed over the hearth, the travellers, and the corridor leading upstairs.
Then a low snort came from beneath the stairway.
The wooden panel shifted slightly.
Straw rustled in the dark.
The man turned his head.
For a moment he listened.
He did not move.
His hand settled higher along the staff.
The sound did not come again.
He straightened and stepped back toward the door.
The bells on his staff chimed softly as he moved.
No one stopped him.
The door closed.
The inn settled again.
Behind the counter, Ruan continued folding the stack of blankets beside him.
The hearth crackled softly while the travellers resumed their quiet conversation.
In the kitchen, Boro carried the rabbits inside.
***
By evening the snow had begun to fall again.
The inn was warm with the scent of cooking.
Braised rabbit simmered slowly in a clay pot near the hearth. The two travellers who had brought the rabbits finished their bowls first.
They rose from the table and moved toward the stairs.
"I'm full," one of them said as they reached the steps. "Easy sleep tonight."
Their boots creaked softly along the corridor above.
For a time the hall was quiet.
Then another door opened upstairs.
A traveller came down, drawn by the smell of food, and settled near the hearth while the fire burned steadily between the chairs.
When the meal was finished, Ruan gathered what remained.
The rabbit skins had been cleaned and folded neatly.
He stepped outside.
Snow creaked faintly beneath his boots as he crossed the yard.
A dim light glowed from the small cottage near the garden.
Ruan pushed the door open.
Inside, Moss sat near the table.
Wood shavings had gathered across the floor while he worked with a small knife, shaping something from a block of pale wood.
Moss looked up.
Ruan set the bundle on the table.
"Rabbit," he said. "I left the meat in the clay pot."
Moss untied the cloth and lifted out a small clay pot. Warm steam slipped faintly from beneath the lid.
Ruan placed the skins beside it.
"Rabbit skins too," he added. "For gloves."
Moss pointed toward Ruan's hands.
"I still have mine."
Moss paused for a moment before giving a small nod.
Ruan glanced around the room.
A sheet of paper rested on the low table beside the lamp, marked with rough drawings and small notes. Shelves along the wall held simple craft pieces and bundles of cord.
Tools hung neatly from wooden pegs, and a narrow bed had been laid against the far wall.
Ruan turned toward the door.
The night air was colder when he stepped outside again.
Snow drifted quietly across the yard.
Somewhere along the road beyond the fields, a bell rang faintly in the dark.
Ruan paused and listened.
The sound continued on the wind, moving slowly across the fields.
After a moment, he turned and walked back toward the inn.